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Ban meets NKorean FM, expresses hope for further dialogue between Koreas

October 1, 2015
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, right, meets North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong at U.N. headquarters, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, right, meets North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong at U.N. headquarters, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope for more dialogue and exchanges between South and North Korea when he met with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong on Thursday, Ban’s office said.

Ban also welcomed August’s inter-Korean deal to defuse a military standoff and a follow-up agreement to hold reunions of families separated by the Korean War, saying the agreements would pave the way for greater inter-Korean dialogue, reconciliation and cooperation.

The meeting happened as Ri was in New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

“The secretary-general further hoped that more dialogue and exchanges would contribute to promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. In this regard, the secretary-general reiterated his readiness to spare no efforts to support inter-Korean cooperation,” Ban’s office said.

Ban also expressed his appreciation for North Korea’s support for the adoption of the U.N.’s sustainable development goals and reaffirmed the U.N.’s commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need in North Korea, the office said.